City Commission OKs Kroger store in Union

The City Commission has cleared the final hurdle for developers to build a new Kroger Marketplace within the city.

City leaders, during an April 14 special meeting, approved 3-1 the second reading of an ordinance that granted a zoning map amendment from Union Neighborhood Office and Rural Suburban Estates/Union Town Overlay to Commercial 2/Planned Development.

The ordinance grants the request despite the unanimous recommendation of the Boone County Planning Commission to deny it.

As previously reported, Kroger had obtained an option to purchase a little more than 35 acres near U.S. 42 and Braxton Drive, just west of Kroger's current Union location.

Zoning consultant Anne McBride, of McBride Dale Clarion, told commissioners April 3 that Kroger opened its existing 66,846-square-feet Union store in 1997. At that time, the city's population was 1,400, she said, but recent census data says the city's population is now more than 5,500.

Plans for the new store call for a 135,976-square-foot Kroger Marketplace as well as an 8,000-square-foot liquor store, a fuel center and out lots along with 730 parking spaces.

"We appreciate the opportunity to work together with the city of Union to move forward with the Kroger Marketplace development which will meet the existing and future needs of the community," Kroger spokeswoman Rachael Betzler said.

A timeline for the project is still being finalized.

During the April 14 meeting, Kline said she wanted to go through and discuss the points of the ordinance, "which we did not do."

"I'm asking from those commissioners that voted in favor of the rezoning to help explain to me how you came up with that these fact findings are true facts and how you guys came up with them," she said.

The ordinance included "findings of fact" that serve as the basis for overriding the recommendation of the planning commission. Among others, findings of fact include:

• There has been major changes of an economic, physical and social nature not anticipated under the adopted comprehensive plan that "substantially alters the area's character."

As noted in the ordinance, this include the city's population growth from 1,001 in 1990 to 5,379 in 2010 and future growth of the Union area anticipated to reach 33,568 by 2020 and 41,886 by 2030.

"This dramatic increase in population creates increased demand for basic needs, such as grocery stores," the ordinance reads. "Without adequate retail services, residents will be forced to leave the community to meet basic needs, resulting in an inconvenience and increased vehicular miles traveled. The city is underserved by basic local retail services, and the capacity to provide basic local commercial services to the Union community must grow to keep pace with the population growth."

• The grocery industry has experience major changes over the last several years and customers expect greater variety, selection and services as part of their shopping experience, the ordinance states.

Kroger's existing Union store, opened in 1997, "cannot and does not meet these expectations" and must relocate to a larger marketplace format to "meet and exceed the expectations of today's grocery store customers and incorporate the new merchandising trends future customers will demand."

When discussing the first finding of fact, Commissioner Ken Heil said his only discussion was that he agreed with it.

Kline, however, argued that growth was anticipated in the 1995 and 2000 comprehensive plans.